Suntory&#39;s founder Shinjiro Torii began building Japan&#39;s first whisky distillery on the outskirts of Kyoto in 1923 to produce Yamazaki. Another distillery was then built in 1973 in Hakushu at the foot of Mt. Kaikomagatake in Japan&#39;s Southern Alps. Hakushu means &ldquo;white sand banks&rdquo; named after the mineral deposits in the stream that feeds the distillery. This is a lighter style whisky with citrus notes and a smoky sweetness.